TMT
ONS
EM
With mobile devices often held on short-term contracts that encourage a convenience culture , much perfectly usable tech is often discarded or quickly forgotten about , rather than being recycled . Bearing in mind the global human population was shy of 8 billion at the time , 2023 Statista data showed the number of mobile devices operating worldwide stood at almost 15 billion in 2021 , up from just over 14bn in the previous year . That figure is expected to reach 18.2bn by 2025 . And the United Nations reports that e-waste is the world ’ s fastest-growing waste stream , with the 50 million tonnes of electronic waste generated every year expected to more than double to 110 million tonnes by 2050 .
A mounting problem E-hoarders in the UK , for example , are estimated to have enough unused cables to circle the planet five times , with every household thought to have 20 unused electronic items . One in three adults said they recycled their unwanted electricals and only 2 % mended them or took them to be repaired , according to Material Focus .
“ When electronic devices aren ’ t recycled , rare metals and other expensive materials – including gold , silver and platinum – can be lost for good ,” explains Gavin Miller , CEO of device insurance , warranty and support services firm Asurion Europe . “ This then puts pressure on mining for more of the planet ’ s scarce resources , which adds to environmental damage – even when people want to be greener it can be hard to know how to recycle products or make a one-off repair .” mobile-magazine . com 41